Material Open Test Assembly Specimen Retrieval from Hanford's Shielded Material Facility

Hanford's 324 Building, the Shielded Material Facility (SMF), was developed to provide containment for research and fabrication development studies on highly radioactive metallic and ceramic nuclear reactor fuels and structural materials. Between 1983 and 1992, the SMF was used in support of the Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) Materials Open Test Assembly (MOTA) program. In this program, metallurgical specimens were irradiated in FFTF and then sent to SMF for processing and storage in two cabinets. This effort was abruptly ended in early 1990s due to programmatic shifts within the DOE, leaving many specimens unexamined. In recent years, these specimens have become of high value to new DOE programs. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was tasked with retrieving specimens from one of the cabinets in support of fuel clad and duct development for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative. Cesium contamination of the cell and failure of the overhead crane system utilized for opening the cabinets prevented PNNL from using the built-in hot cell equipment to gain access to the cabinets. PNNL designed and tested a lifting device to fit through a standard 10 inch diameter mechanical manipulator port in the SMF South Cell wall. The tool was successfully deployed in June 2008 with the support of Washington Closure Hanford.